Folding closure



Jan. 26, 1954 s. M. COLLINS 2,667,218

FOLDING CLOSURE Filed Feb. 1, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

77 J 42 BY 6010440 m. tau/M5 WW1:

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING CLOSURESolomon M. Collins, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,410

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a folding closure, particularly for use indoors of homes and commercial establishments.

It has been known to have folding doors of the wood panel type and alsousing collapsible plastic folds of the accordion type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attractivelooking folding door which may be easily installed in a household openinwithout special built-in hardware and which can be prepared from easilyavailable materials to provide an inexpensive but attractive doorclosure. Furthermore, the proposed construction provides a hingelessdoor, one that requires no expensive hand installations of inset hinges.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a particularconstruction for a folding door closure which lends itself particularlyto the type of material being used and also provides a constructionwhich may be adapted to many different types of material in the way ofcolors, designs and so forth.

The device may be used with fabrics or leather or synthetic plasticsheet materials with any number of combinations of patterns and colors.A simple and effective holding device makes it possible to mount theunit quickly and easily.

Briefly, the invention consists of double sheets of decorative materialsuch as leather, plastic or fabric which are sewed into verticalpockets,

closed at the top, and in which is inserted a stiffening panel ofinexpensive material provided with a supporting device which projectsthrough the top of the pockets to co-operate with a slide.

Other details of the invention will be evident in the followingdescription and claims.

Drawings accompany the specification, and the various views thereof maybe briefly described as:

Figure 1, an elevation of a completed doorway showing the foldingclosure in position.

Figure 2, a sectional view on line 2-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 3, an enlarged perspective view Shrine: a joint between twopockets in the material.

Figure 4, a vertical section transversely of th closure member showingthe supporting slide and the details of the holding means.

Figure 5, a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fierure 4.

Figure 6, a perspective view of the device showing the relationship ofthe supporting means to the folding pockets.

In Figure l of the drawings a completed folding door of the type to bedescribed is shown in partially open position. The door frame has twovertical members and 22 and a lintel member 24.

As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the door panel consists of a doublesheet of material 26 which is fastened at one edge by snap fasteners 30to the vertical riser 20 of the door frame. The material 26 is fastenedtogether at 32 to provide a stable hinging panel. At spaced intervalsthe material 26 is also fastened together to provide hinge areas. InFigure 2 these are shown at 34 and 3B.

A cord, member 38 is locked between seams 39 in the material to providea neat appearing joint. If the material is a fabric, it may be stitchedon either side of the cord member. If it is a plastic material, it maybe welded either by the application of heat or the application of asolvent, depending on the nature of the plastic.

The formation of the seams at spaced intervals in the double materialprovides envelopes or pockets 40 which are closed at the top at 42, asshown best in Figure 6. This construction continues to the edge 44,which is the free edge of the panel.

The construction of the folding panel is completed by inserting withinthe envelopes 40 stiffener panels formed of thin plates of hard wood,pressed wood, plastic, light metal or similar equivalent material. Theseplates fill the pockets as shown in sectional drawings and extendsubstantially the full length of the pockets.

At the top of the plates 50 are inverted channels 52 which are rivetedto the top edge of the plates and which have passing through the topwall thereof a supporting rivet 54. This supporting rivet passes througha slide block 56 having side grooves 58 which co-operate with inturnededges 60 of a channel member 62 fastened to the lintel 24 by screws 64,Figure 5.

There is an opening in the top closing edge 42 of the envelope whichpermits the passage of the slide blocks 56 through the top of theenvelope as the plates are inserted. Each panel member, therefore, ofthe closure unit is supported independently and slidably, the rivets 54being relatively rotatable so that there is free rotation with the block56. Thus, the door panel may be opened and closed simply by sliding theblocks 56 and by manipulating them through the suspended panels as theyappear in Figure 1.

The assembly of the slide blocks 56 into the track 62 can beaccomplished before the entire device is suspended or it can beaccomplished through a suitable opening provided at one end of thetrack.

It will thus be seen that there is disclosed an inexpensive envelopetype of folding closure which is readily adaptable to many types ofhousehold materials which can be mounted in practically any verticalopening as an attractive and inexpensive closure member.

Iclaim:

1. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors whichcomprises a doubled sheet of flaccid material having a lengthsubstantially equal to the height of the opening to be closed and awidth substantially equal to the width of said opening, said doubledsheet being joined together in vertical seams spaced along its width toform pockets extending substantially the length of the sheet, andstiffening means comprising panels of relatively rigid material comparedto the sheet material slidable into said pockets substantially the fulllength thereof, fastening means on said panels adjacent the top of saidclosure member and passing freely through said sheet material, and meansslidably associating said fastening means with the top of the opening tobe closed to permit said pockets of the closure member to fold togetherand to extend horizontally.

2. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors whichcomprises a doubled sheet of flaccid material having a lengthsubstantially equal to the height of the opening to :e

be closed and a width substantially equal to the width of said opening,said doubled sheet being joined together in vertical seams spaced alongits width to form pockets closed at the top except for a small centralopening and extending substantially the length of the sheet, andstiffening means comprising panels of relatively rigid material comparedto the sheet material slid.-

able into said pockets substantially the full length top of the openingto be closed to permit said L pockets of the closure member to foldtogether and to extend horizontally.

3. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors havingvertical riser memr bers and a connecting lintel which comprises adoubled sheet of flexible, flaccid decorative material having a lengthsubstantially equal to the height of the opening to be closed and awidth substantially equal to the width of said opening, said doubledsheet being joined together at the side and top edges and in verticalseams spaced along its width to form pockets extending substantially thelength of the sheet and having a horizontal dimension approximating thewidth of the frame members forming the opening, and unitary meansreceived in each of said pockets each having suspension means mountedthereon projecting freely through the top of said pockets, and slidemeans fastened on said lintel to cooperate with said suspension means topermit each pocket of said closure member to slide as a panel and tofold relative to the adjacent panel.

4. A folding closure member as defined in claim 3 in which the unitarymeans comprises a relatively thin, rigid plate of stiifening material.

5. A folding closure member for vertical openmas such as doors having avertica1 riser and a connecting lintel to form the frame therefor whichcomprises a doubled sheet of decorative material having a consistencysuch as fabric, leather, and synthetic sheet material and having alength substantially equal to the height of the opening to be closed anda width at least equal to the width of said opening, said doubled sheetbeing closed at the top and the vertical edges and being joined togetherin vertical seams spaced along its width to form pockets extendingsubstantially the length of said sheet, relatively thin, rigid platemeans in each of said pockets, fastening means passing freely throughthe closed top edge of said doubled sheet, and slide means fastened onsaid lintel to co-operate with said fastening means to suspend thedoubled sheet on the stifiening panels.

6. A folding closure member for vertical openings such as doors having avertical riser and a connecting lintel to form the frame therefor whichcomprises a doubled sheet of decorative material having a. consistencysuch as fabric, leather, and synthetic sheet material and having alength substantially equal to the height ofthe opening to be closed anda width at leastequal to the width of said opening, said doubled sheetbeing closed at the top and the vertical edges, a plurality ofstiffening plates positioned between the sheets of material forming saidclosure members in relatively closed spaced relation and extendingsubstantially the full length of said sheet, means to position saidplates within the doubled sheet in vertical spaced relation, and meanson said plates to slidably suspend each of said plates at the top andfrom the lintel, said sheet material being supported entirely on saidplates and said. sheet of materialconstituting the sole connectionbetween the plates.

7. A folding closure member for vertical openings which comprises asheet of material having a length substantially equal to the height ofthe opening, pockets formed substantially the entire length of saidsheet of material, separate flat, elongate stiffening members retainedin said pockets extending vertically in spaced relation, individualsupporting means, each mounted on and positioned centrally and adjacentthe top of said stiffening members, and slide means supportable at thetop of an opening to co-operate with said individual suspension means toprovide a sliding suspension for said closure member, said sheet ofmaterial being supported entirely on said stiffening members.

8. A foldable closure for doorways which comprises a plurality of thin,flat, elongate panels adapted to form a door when in aligned position,separate supporting means at the top of each panel centrally thereof, atrack for sli'dably mounting said supporting means at the topof a dooropening, and an ornamental sheathing for said panels covering each sideand joined between said panels to space the panels and being flexible toform with the panels a hinged series of panels positionable at will inclosely spaced, parallel relation or in aligned relation, the joinedportions of the sheathing forming the sole hinge between the panels.

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which the sheathing is closedat the top to receive its sole support from the top edges of saidpanels.

10. A combination as defined in claim 9 in which the sheathing is openat the bottom to permit the removal and replacement of individualpanels.

11. A foldable closure for doorways which,

comprises a plurality of thin, flat, elongate, relatively stifl,formrretaining, uniformly dimensioned panels adapted to form a door whenin aligned position, separate supporting means at the top of each panelcentrally thereof, a track for slidably mounting said supporting meansat the top of a door opening, and an ornamental sheathing for saidpanels covering each side and joined between said panels to space thepanels and being flexible to form with the panels a hinged series ofpanels positionable at will in closely spaced, parallel relation or inaligned relation, the joined portions of said sheathing forming the solehinge between said panels.

SOLOMON M. COLLINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,024,305 Applas Apr. 23, 1912 1,558,533 Cone Oct. 27, 19251,877,950 Nordell Sept. 20, 1932 2,325,992 Wirthman Aug. 3, 1943

